The Science Museum Group has developed a new app, Treasure Hunters, in partnership with Aardman, the acclaimed British animation studio behind Wallace & Gromit and Shaun the Sheep.

Treasure Hunters, which launches today (15 March), was created by Aardman’s interactive division, and will be available at all five of the museums in the Group’s portfolio. It encourages visitors to interact and engage with displays in the museums, and is designed to facilitate learning through play. It combines gamification with interactivity and can be played by single or group players.

It poses questions and challenges as visitors make their way through the museum. Players answer the question by taking pictures of an object in the museum, other players award points based on how well the object answers the questions. Susan Raikes, director of Learning for The Science Museum Group, said: "The Science Museum Group is committed to igniting curiosity and inspiring everyone to enjoy and engage with science. Working with Aardman Interactive we’ve created an app that will help to realise that ambition."

"Treasure Hunters offers a fresh, fun way to explore galleries, discover objects and build a relationship with our diverse collection using technology," she continued. Hannah Jones, interactive producer at Aardman, added: "We wanted to develop an experience that actively inspired visitors to explore the museum and the world around them, encouraging people to really think about and question the objects they discover. By mixing in a little friendly competition we hope to promote discussion and debate that leads to even deeper engagement, understanding and of course fun."

Treasure Hunters is available on both iOS and Android mobile devices, including tablets, and is free to download.